HVAC Maintenance and Design Tips for Swimming Pools and Gyms

Natural disasters happen. It would be nice if you could trust power, water, food, and other necessities to be readily available all the time, but in adverse weather conditions, your power and other services can be lost. Without power, your food can rot, your HVAC system might not work like it should, and you can lose your ability to communicate with the outside world. In order to keep your home running smoothly and your family safe during the aftermath of a natural disaster, you should look into installing a standby generator. Choosing the fuel source for your generator will help you to find a dependable system for your home.

An Analysis of Gasoline as Fuel Source for Generators

Gasoline is a very common fuel source, so you should have no problem finding gasoline for your generator. On the other hand, a storm can wipe out the power at gas stations, which will take out the gas station's pumps and make gas hard to get. If you try to store gas, it will typically only store well for about a year, and because gasoline is highly flammable, storing large amounts of it can create an additional hazard for your family. 

An Analysis of Diesel as a Fuel Source

At any gas station where you can buy gasoline, you can typically also buy diesel. The advantages of diesel are that it is the least flammable of all the fuels used in generators. Also, you can buy farm-grade diesel, which is cheaper than road grade diesel, which will help you to keep your costs down. Diesel will keep for a year and a half or longer with the right additives, so you can stockpile fuel to help you keep your generator going even if a power outage lasts for weeks. Diesel engines are more durable than other engines used in generators, but they tend to be louder, so it is necessary to insulate the room where you keep your generator to keep noise pollution down. 

You can also use propane or natural gas in a diesel engine. You can easily store propane, and natural gas lines will keep your fuel running right into your house unless the lines are disrupted during an earthquake or landslide. Even though propane and natural gas have their advantages, they tend to be more expensive than diesel. Thus, diesel generators are a strong choice for a standby generator for your home. Contact local providers, such as Original Donnelly Heating Cooling & Electric.